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Combative OMB Director Vought Faces Lawsuits, Investigations Amid Controversial Agency Policies
Russell Vought, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, continues to be at the center of significant government actions and controversies as we move through late December 2025.
A major development came on December 22 when twenty-one attorneys general from Democratic-led states and the District of Columbia filed a federal lawsuit challenging Vought's efforts to dismantle the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. According to reporting from Politico, the attorneys general argue that Vought's refusal to request funding from the Federal Reserve is unlawful. Vought, who also serves as acting director of the CFPB, has been attempting to shut down the agency since February. His efforts to fire ninety percent of the agency's staff have been temporarily blocked by a district court ruling, but the bureau is expected to run out of funds within the next month. The states contend that Vought's actions violate the agency's statutory duty to work with states on consumer protection matters. In 2024 alone, the CFPB database led to ninety-three million dollars in restitutions for consumers.
Beyond the CFPB battle, Vought has been issuing guidance across multiple federal agencies. The OMB released a seven-page memo directing federal agencies to ensure that artificial intelligence systems they procure comply with the Trump administration's mandate against what they call woke AI. Vendors must provide sufficient information demonstrating their models align with administration principles, though agencies are instructed not to request sensitive technical data like model weights.
Earlier in December, Vought signed a letter to the Smithsonian Institution demanding documentation of current and upcoming exhibits, draft plans for shows, and internal guidelines used in exhibition development. The letter implies that noncompliance could result in loss of funding and references the nation's upcoming 250th birthday celebration. The administration had previously requested this information in August.
Meanwhile, the Government Accountability Office, a legislative branch agency tasked with investigating government spending, has conducted dozens of investigations into suspected violations of the Impoundment Control Act during 2025. The GAO has found that the Trump administration acted illegally when withholding funds for electric vehicle charging infrastructure, Head Start, FEMA, NIH grants, and support for libraries and museums. According to Talking Points Memo, under Vought's leadership, the OMB has refused to cooperate in GAO investigations, calling their requests voluminous, burdensome, and inappropriately invasive.
Additionally, Vought stated that the Trump administration could ultimately lay off more than ten thousand federal employees during a shutdown. He has also characterized the National Center for Atmospheric Research as one of the largest sources of climate alarmism in the country, leading to OMB announcements about closing the institution.
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Published on 1 week, 2 days ago